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Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 7.djvu/481

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INFIRMITIES OF SPEECH.
465

after an attack of apoplexy, was thus affected, and in the hotel where he staid he was mistaken for a foreigner. Dr. Osborn, with a view to ascertain the nature of his imperfection of language, asked him to read aloud the following sentence from the by-laws of the College of Physicians: "It shall be in the power of the college to examine or not to examine any licentiate previous to his admission to a fellowship, as they shall think fit." lie read as follows: "An the be what in the temother of the trothotodoo to majorum or that emidrate ein einkrastroi mestraits to ketra totombreida to ra from treido as that kekritest." Several of these syllables are difficult and unusual.

As indicated above, it is necessary to distinguish between the memory of words and the memory of how to say words. Where the latter memory is lost, the disorder is sometimes called atactic aphasia. The patient may retain a few words, and use only these. There was at the Bicêtre Asylum for many years a man who invariably used the monosyllable "Tan" when any question was put to him. (He went by the name of "Tan.") This, with the exception of an oath (S—N—d—D—!), composed his whole vocabulary. His history, long under observation, furnished some useful data with regard to the physiological relations of aphasia; but we cannot here dwell on this. Another instance, mentioned by M. Broca, was that of a man who had only four words besides his name (which he pronounced "Lelo" for "Lelong"); they were, yes, no, three, and always. He used yes and no at proper times, but he made use of the word three in order to express any number, although he knew well that the word did not always convey his meaning; and corrected the mistake which he made in speaking by holding up the proper number of fingers. Whenever yes, no, and three, were not applicable, he used the word always (toujours). M. Broca infers from this man's case 1. That he understood all that was said to him; 2. That he used with judgment the four words of his vocabulary; 3. That he was of sane mind; 4. That he understood written numeration, and at least the values of the first two orders of units; 5. That he had lost the faculty of articulate language alone. It is to this atactic aphasia alone that M. Broca limits the term aphasia. Another example of it may here be given from Dr. Trousseau. A lady came to consult him with her son, aged twenty-five. This young man could articulate two words only, no and mamma. "What is your name?" "Mamma." "What is your age?" "Mamma, no." He yet knew that he did not answer as he ought. He had taught himself to write with his left hand, the right being paralyzed, but had not got beyond signing his own name, "Henri Guénier." "Since you write your name," Dr. Trousseau told him, "say Guénier." He made an effort, and said, "Mamma." "Say Henri." He replied, "No mamma." "Well, write mamma." He wrote Guénier. "Write no." He wrote Guénier. However much he was pressed, nothing more could be got from him.